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Saleem AB, Busse L. Interactions between rodent visual and spatial systems during navigation. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023:10.1038/s41583-023-00716-7. [PMID: 37380885 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00716-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Many behaviours that are critical for animals to survive and thrive rely on spatial navigation. Spatial navigation, in turn, relies on internal representations about one's spatial location, one's orientation or heading direction and the distance to objects in the environment. Although the importance of vision in guiding such internal representations has long been recognized, emerging evidence suggests that spatial signals can also modulate neural responses in the central visual pathway. Here, we review the bidirectional influences between visual and navigational signals in the rodent brain. Specifically, we discuss reciprocal interactions between vision and the internal representations of spatial position, explore the effects of vision on representations of an animal's heading direction and vice versa, and examine how the visual and navigational systems work together to assess the relative distances of objects and other features. Throughout, we consider how technological advances and novel ethological paradigms that probe rodent visuo-spatial behaviours allow us to advance our understanding of how brain areas of the central visual pathway and the spatial systems interact and enable complex behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman B Saleem
- UCL Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Laura Busse
- Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
- Bernstein Centre for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany.
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2
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Fedotova A, Brazhe A, Doronin M, Toptunov D, Pryazhnikov E, Khiroug L, Verkhratsky A, Semyanov A. Dissociation Between Neuronal and Astrocytic Calcium Activity in Response to Locomotion in Mice. FUNCTION 2023; 4:zqad019. [PMID: 37342415 PMCID: PMC10278990 DOI: 10.1093/function/zqad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion triggers a coordinated response of both neurons and astrocytes in the brain. Here we performed calcium (Ca2+) imaging of these two cell types in the somatosensory cortex in head-fixed mice moving on the airlifted platform. Ca2+ activity in astrocytes significantly increased during locomotion from a low quiescence level. Ca2+ signals first appeared in the distal processes and then propagated to astrocytic somata, where it became significantly larger and exhibited oscillatory behaviour. Thus, astrocytic soma operates as both integrator and amplifier of Ca2+ signal. In neurons, Ca2+ activity was pronounced in quiescent periods and further increased during locomotion. Neuronal Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) rose almost immediately following the onset of locomotion, whereas astrocytic Ca2+ signals lagged by several seconds. Such a long lag suggests that astrocytic [Ca2+]i elevations are unlikely to be triggered by the activity of synapses among local neurons. Ca2+ responses to pairs of consecutive episodes of locomotion did not significantly differ in neurons, while were significantly diminished in response to the second locomotion in astrocytes. Such astrocytic refractoriness may arise from distinct mechanisms underlying Ca2+ signal generation. In neurons, the bulk of Ca2+ enters through the Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane allowing for steady-level Ca2+ elevations in repetitive runs. Astrocytic Ca2+ responses originate from the intracellular stores, the depletion of which affects subsequent Ca2+ signals. Functionally, neuronal Ca2+ response reflects sensory input processed by neurons. Astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics is likely to provide metabolic and homeostatic support within the brain active milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fedotova
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Alexey Brazhe
- Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Maxim Doronin
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, Moscow 117997, Russia
- College of Medicine, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, 314001, China
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3
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Kietzman HW, Gourley SL. How social information impacts action in rodents and humans: the role of the prefrontal cortex and its connections. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105075. [PMID: 36736847 PMCID: PMC10026261 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Day-to-day choices often involve social information and can be influenced by prior social experience. When making a decision in a social context, a subject might need to: 1) recognize the other individual or individuals, 2) infer their intentions and emotions, and 3) weigh the values of all outcomes, social and non-social, prior to selecting an action. These elements of social information processing all rely, to some extent, on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Patients with neuropsychiatric disorders often have disruptions in prefrontal cortical function, likely contributing to deficits in social reasoning and decision making. To better understand these deficits, researchers have turned to rodents, which have revealed prefrontal cortical mechanisms for contending with the complex information processing demands inherent to making decisions in social contexts. Here, we first review literature regarding social decision making, and the information processing underlying it, in humans and patient populations. We then turn to research in rodents, discussing current procedures for studying social decision making, and underlying neural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W Kietzman
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA.
| | - Shannon L Gourley
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Emory University, USA; Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Rd. NE, Atlanta GA 30329, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA.
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4
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Guo C, Wang A, Cheng H, Chen L. New imaging instrument in animal models: Two-photon miniature microscope and large field of view miniature microscope for freely behaving animals. J Neurochem 2023; 164:270-283. [PMID: 36281555 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, novel optical imaging tools have been developed for imaging neuronal activities along with the evolution of fluorescence indicators with brighter expression and higher sensitivity. Miniature microscopes, as revolutionary approaches, enable the imaging of large populations of neuron ensembles in freely behaving rodents and mammals, which allows exploring the neural basis of behaviors. Recent progress in two-photon miniature microscopes and mesoscale single-photon miniature microscopes further expand those affordable methods to navigate neural activities during naturalistic behaviors. In this review article, two-photon miniature microscopy techniques are summarized historically from the first documented attempt to the latest ones, and comparisons are made. The driving force behind and their potential for neuroscientific inquiries are also discussed. Current progress in terms of the mesoscale, i.e., the large field-of-view miniature microscopy technique, is addressed as well. Then, pipelines for registering single cells from the data of two-photon and large field-of-view miniature microscopes are discussed. Finally, we present the potential evolution of the techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changliang Guo
- Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Aimin Wang
- School of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication System and Networks, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Heping Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Research Unit of Mitochondria in Brain Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PKU-Nanjing Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Liangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing, China.,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.,Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing, China
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5
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Nöbel S, Monier M, Villa D, Danchin É, Isabel G. 2-D sex images elicit mate copying in fruit flies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22127. [PMID: 36550183 PMCID: PMC9780341 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26252-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the environment is three-dimensional (3-D), humans are able to extract subtle information from two-dimensional (2-D) images, particularly in the domain of sex. However, whether animals with simpler nervous systems are capable of such information extraction remains to be demonstrated, as this ability would suggest a functional generalisation capacity. Here, we performed mate-copying experiments in Drosophila melanogaster using 2-D artificial stimuli. Mate copying occurs when naïve females observe the mating success of potential mates and use that social information to build their own mating preference. By replacing live demonstrations with (i) photos or (ii) simplified images of copulating pairs, we found that even crudely simplified images of sexual intercourse still elicit mate copying, suggesting that Drosophila is able to extract sex-related information even from a degraded image. This new method constitutes a powerful tool to further investigate mate copying in that species and sexual preferences in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Nöbel
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole and Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST), Esplanade de l’Université, 31080 Toulouse Cedex 06, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France ,grid.9018.00000 0001 0679 2801Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Magdalena Monier
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - David Villa
- grid.508721.9Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Étienne Danchin
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Guillaume Isabel
- grid.508721.9Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
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6
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Thurley K. Naturalistic neuroscience and virtual reality. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:896251. [PMID: 36467978 PMCID: PMC9712202 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.896251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is one of the techniques that became particularly popular in neuroscience over the past few decades. VR experiments feature a closed-loop between sensory stimulation and behavior. Participants interact with the stimuli and not just passively perceive them. Several senses can be stimulated at once, large-scale environments can be simulated as well as social interactions. All of this makes VR experiences more natural than those in traditional lab paradigms. Compared to the situation in field research, a VR simulation is highly controllable and reproducible, as required of a laboratory technique used in the search for neural correlates of perception and behavior. VR is therefore considered a middle ground between ecological validity and experimental control. In this review, I explore the potential of VR in eliciting naturalistic perception and behavior in humans and non-human animals. In this context, I give an overview of recent virtual reality approaches used in neuroscientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
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7
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Barkus C, Bergmann C, Branco T, Carandini M, Chadderton PT, Galiñanes GL, Gilmour G, Huber D, Huxter JR, Khan AG, King AJ, Maravall M, O'Mahony T, Ragan CI, Robinson ESJ, Schaefer AT, Schultz SR, Sengpiel F, Prescott MJ. Refinements to rodent head fixation and fluid/food control for neuroscience. J Neurosci Methods 2022; 381:109705. [PMID: 36096238 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2022.109705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The use of head fixation in mice is increasingly common in research, its use having initially been restricted to the field of sensory neuroscience. Head restraint has often been combined with fluid control, rather than food restriction, to motivate behaviour, but this too is now in use for both restrained and non-restrained animals. Despite this, there is little guidance on how best to employ these techniques to optimise both scientific outcomes and animal welfare. This article summarises current practices and provides recommendations to improve animal wellbeing and data quality, based on a survey of the community, literature reviews, and the expert opinion and practical experience of an international working group convened by the UK's National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). Topics covered include head fixation surgery and post-operative care, habituation to restraint, and the use of fluid/food control to motivate performance. We also discuss some recent developments that may offer alternative ways to collect data from large numbers of behavioural trials without the need for restraint. The aim is to provide support for researchers at all levels, animal care staff, and ethics committees to refine procedures and practices in line with the refinement principle of the 3Rs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Barkus
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK.
| | | | - Tiago Branco
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matteo Carandini
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul T Chadderton
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel Huber
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Adil G Khan
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Miguel Maravall
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Tina O'Mahony
- Sainsbury Wellcome Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - C Ian Ragan
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
| | - Emma S J Robinson
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andreas T Schaefer
- Sensory Circuits and Neurotechnology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Simon R Schultz
- Centre for Neurotechnology and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mark J Prescott
- National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs), London, UK
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8
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Henke J, Flanagin VL, Thurley K. A virtual reality time reproduction task for rodents. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:957804. [PMID: 36035022 PMCID: PMC9399742 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.957804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Estimates of the duration of time intervals and other magnitudes exhibit characteristic biases that likely result from error minimization strategies. To investigate such phenomena, magnitude reproduction tasks are used with humans and other primates. However, such behavioral tasks do not exist for rodents, one of the most important animal orders for neuroscience. We, therefore, developed a time reproduction task that can be used with rodents. It involves an animal reproducing the duration of a timed visual stimulus by walking along a corridor. The task was implemented in virtual reality, which allowed us to ensure that the animals were actually estimating time. The hallway did not contain prominent spatial cues and movement could be de-correlated from optic flow, such that the animals could not learn a mapping between stimulus duration and covered distance. We tested the reproduction of durations of several seconds in three different stimulus ranges. The gerbils reproduced the durations with a precision similar to experiments on humans. Their time reproductions also exhibited the characteristic biases of magnitude estimation experiments. These results demonstrate that our behavioral paradigm provides a means to study time reproduction in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josphine Henke
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Virginia L. Flanagin
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Munich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kay Thurley
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Alefantis P, Lakshminarasimhan K, Avila E, Noel JP, Pitkow X, Angelaki DE. Sensory Evidence Accumulation Using Optic Flow in a Naturalistic Navigation Task. J Neurosci 2022; 42:5451-5462. [PMID: 35641186 PMCID: PMC9270913 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2203-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory evidence accumulation is considered a hallmark of decision-making in noisy environments. Integration of sensory inputs has been traditionally studied using passive stimuli, segregating perception from action. Lessons learned from this approach, however, may not generalize to ethological behaviors like navigation, where there is an active interplay between perception and action. We designed a sensory-based sequential decision task in virtual reality in which humans and monkeys navigated to a memorized location by integrating optic flow generated by their own joystick movements. A major challenge in such closed-loop tasks is that subjects' actions will determine future sensory input, causing ambiguity about whether they rely on sensory input rather than expectations based solely on a learned model of the dynamics. To test whether subjects integrated optic flow over time, we used three independent experimental manipulations, unpredictable optic flow perturbations, which pushed subjects off their trajectory; gain manipulation of the joystick controller, which changed the consequences of actions; and manipulation of the optic flow density, which changed the information borne by sensory evidence. Our results suggest that both macaques (male) and humans (female/male) relied heavily on optic flow, thereby demonstrating a critical role for sensory evidence accumulation during naturalistic action-perception closed-loop tasks.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The temporal integration of evidence is a fundamental component of mammalian intelligence. Yet, it has traditionally been studied using experimental paradigms that fail to capture the closed-loop interaction between actions and sensations inherent in real-world continuous behaviors. These conventional paradigms use binary decision tasks and passive stimuli with statistics that remain stationary over time. Instead, we developed a naturalistic visuomotor visual navigation paradigm that mimics the causal structure of real-world sensorimotor interactions and probed the extent to which participants integrate sensory evidence by adding task manipulations that reveal complementary aspects of the computation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos Alefantis
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | | | - Eric Avila
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Jean-Paul Noel
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Xaq Pitkow
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Dora E Angelaki
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
- Tandon School of Engineering, New York University, New York, New York 11201
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10
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Othayoth R, Strebel B, Han Y, Francois E, Li C. A terrain treadmill to study animal locomotion through large obstacles. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275753. [PMID: 35724269 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
A challenge to understanding locomotion in complex 3-D terrain with large obstacles is to create tools for controlled, systematic experiments. Recent terrain arenas allow observations at small spatiotemporal scales (∼10 body length or cycles). Here, we create a terrain treadmill to enable high-resolution observation of animal locomotion through large obstacles over large spatiotemporal scales. An animal moves through modular obstacles on an inner sphere, while a rigidly-attached, concentric, transparent outer sphere rotates with the opposite velocity via closed-loop feedback to keep the animal atop. During sustained locomotion, a discoid cockroach moved through pillar obstacles for up to 25 minutes (2500 cycles) over 67 m (1500 body lengths). Over 12 trials totaling∼1 hour, the animal was maintained within a radius of 1 body length (4.5 cm) on top of the sphere 90% of the time. The high-resolution observation enables study of diverse locomotor behaviors and quantification of animal-obstacle interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ratan Othayoth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Blake Strebel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Yuanfeng Han
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Evains Francois
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, USA
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11
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Henke J, Bunk D, von Werder D, Häusler S, Flanagin VL, Thurley K. Distributed coding of duration in rodent prefrontal cortex during time reproduction. eLife 2021; 10:71612. [PMID: 34939922 PMCID: PMC8786316 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As we interact with the external world, we judge magnitudes from sensory information. The estimation of magnitudes has been characterized in primates, yet it is largely unexplored in nonprimate species. Here, we use time interval reproduction to study rodent behavior and its neural correlates in the context of magnitude estimation. We show that gerbils display primate-like magnitude estimation characteristics in time reproduction. Most prominently their behavioral responses show a systematic overestimation of small stimuli and an underestimation of large stimuli, often referred to as regression effect. We investigated the underlying neural mechanisms by recording from medial prefrontal cortex and show that the majority of neurons respond either during the measurement or the reproduction of a time interval. Cells that are active during both phases display distinct response patterns. We categorize the neural responses into multiple types and demonstrate that only populations with mixed responses can encode the bias of the regression effect. These results help unveil the organizing neural principles of time reproduction and perhaps magnitude estimation in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Henke
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - David Bunk
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dina von Werder
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stefan Häusler
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Virginia L Flanagin
- German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders,, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Munich, Germany
| | - Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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12
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Abstract
Hippocampal place cells are known to process path integration signals and sensory information about landmarks. In this issue of Neuron, Fischler-Ruiz et al., 2021 show how localized olfactory cues interact with path integration to drive place cells, turning the cues into landmarks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Thurley
- Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Germany.
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13
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Fetterhoff D, Sobolev A, Leibold C. Graded remapping of hippocampal ensembles under sensory conflicts. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109661. [PMID: 34525357 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells are thought to constitute a cognitive map of space derived from multimodal sensory inputs. Alteration of allocentric (visual) cues in a fixed environment is known to induce modulations of place cell activity to varying degrees from rate changes to global remapping. To determine how hippocampal ensembles combine multimodal sensory cues, we examine hippocampal CA1 remapping in Mongolian gerbils in a 1D virtual reality experiment, during which self-motion cues (locomotor, vestibular, and optic flow information) and allocentric visual cues are altered. We observe that self-motion cues are over-represented, but responsiveness to allocentric visual cues, although task-irrelevant, elicits both rate and global remapping in the hippocampal ensemble. We propose that remapping can be reconciled by considering global, partial, and rate remapping on a continuous scale on which the graded change of activity in the entire CA1 population can be interpreted as the expectancy about the animal's spatial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Fetterhoff
- Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany.
| | - Andrey Sobolev
- Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 82152 Munich, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, 82152 Munich, Germany
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14
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Madhav MS, Jayakumar RP, Lashkari SG, Savelli F, Blair HT, Knierim JJ, Cowan NJ. The Dome: A virtual reality apparatus for freely locomoting rodents. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 368:109336. [PMID: 34453979 PMCID: PMC9178503 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive map in the hippocampal formation of rodents and other mammals integrates multiple classes of sensory and motor information into a coherent representation of space. Here, we describe the Dome, a virtual reality apparatus for freely locomoting rats, designed to examine the relative contributions of various spatial inputs to an animal’s spatial representation. The Dome was designed to preserve the range of spatial inputs typically available to an animal in free, untethered locomotion while providing the ability to perturb specific sensory cues. We present the design rationale and corresponding specifications of the Dome, along with a variety of engineering and biological analyses to validate the efficacy of the Dome as an experimental tool to examine the interaction between visual information and path integration in place cells in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manu S Madhav
- Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; School of Biomedical Engineering, Djawad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada.
| | - Ravikrishnan P Jayakumar
- Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Mechanical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shahin G Lashkari
- Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Mechanical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Francesco Savelli
- Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Francesco Savelli is currently affiliated with the Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Hugh T Blair
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - James J Knierim
- Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Noah J Cowan
- Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Mechanical Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Pike AC, Lowther M, Robinson OJ. The Importance of Common Currency Tasks in Translational Psychiatry. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2021; 8:1-10. [PMID: 33708469 PMCID: PMC7904709 DOI: 10.1007/s40473-021-00225-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Common currency tasks are tasks that investigate the same phenomenon in different species. In this review, we discuss how to ensure the translational validity of common currency tasks, summarise their benefits, present recent research in this area and offer future directions and recommendations. Recent Findings We discuss the strengths and limitations of three specific examples where common currency tasks have added to our understanding of psychiatric constructs—affective bias, reversal learning and goal-based decision making. Summary Overall, common currency tasks offer the potential to improve drug discovery in psychiatry. We recommend that researchers prioritise construct validity above face validity when designing common currency tasks and suggest that the evidence for construct validity is summarised in papers presenting research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C Pike
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Millie Lowther
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Oliver J Robinson
- Anxiety Lab, Neuroscience and Mental Health Group, University College London Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, 17-19 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 3AR UK.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT UK
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16
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Schweihoff JF, Loshakov M, Pavlova I, Kück L, Ewell LA, Schwarz MK. DeepLabStream enables closed-loop behavioral experiments using deep learning-based markerless, real-time posture detection. Commun Biol 2021; 4:130. [PMID: 33514883 PMCID: PMC7846585 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01654-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In general, animal behavior can be described as the neuronal-driven sequence of reoccurring postures through time. Most of the available current technologies focus on offline pose estimation with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, to correlate behavior with neuronal activity it is often necessary to detect and react online to behavioral expressions. Here we present DeepLabStream, a versatile closed-loop tool providing real-time pose estimation to deliver posture dependent stimulations. DeepLabStream has a temporal resolution in the millisecond range, can utilize different input, as well as output devices and can be tailored to multiple experimental designs. We employ DeepLabStream to semi-autonomously run a second-order olfactory conditioning task with freely moving mice and optogenetically label neuronal ensembles active during specific head directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens F Schweihoff
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matvey Loshakov
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Irina Pavlova
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura Kück
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura A Ewell
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Martin K Schwarz
- Functional Neuroconnectomics Group, Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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17
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Semyanov A, Henneberger C, Agarwal A. Making sense of astrocytic calcium signals — from acquisition to interpretation. Nat Rev Neurosci 2020; 21:551-564. [DOI: 10.1038/s41583-020-0361-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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18
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Malvaut S, Constantinescu VS, Dehez H, Doric S, Saghatelyan A. Deciphering Brain Function by Miniaturized Fluorescence Microscopy in Freely Behaving Animals. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:819. [PMID: 32848576 PMCID: PMC7432153 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavior is regulated by environmental stimuli and is shaped by the activity of neural networks, underscoring the importance of assessing the morpho-functional properties of different populations of cells in freely behaving animals. In recent years, a number of optical tools have been developed to monitor and modulate neuronal and glial activity at the protein, cellular, or network level and have opened up new avenues for studying brain function in freely behaving animals. Tools such as genetically encoded sensors and actuators are now commonly used for studying brain activity and function through their expression in different neuronal ensembles. In parallel, microscopy has also made major progress over the last decades. The advent of miniature microscopes (mini-microscopes also called mini-endoscopes) has become a method of choice for studying brain activity at the cellular and network levels in different brain regions of freely behaving mice. This technique also allows for longitudinal investigations while animals carrying the microscope on their head are performing behavioral tasks. In this review, we will discuss mini-endoscopic imaging and the advantages that these devices offer to research. We will also discuss current limitations of and potential future improvements in mini-endoscopic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Malvaut
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Universite Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Vlad-Stefan Constantinescu
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Universite Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Sead Doric
- Doric Lenses Inc., Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Armen Saghatelyan
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Universite Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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19
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Baladron J, Hamker FH. Habit learning in hierarchical cortex-basal ganglia loops. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:4613-4638. [PMID: 32237250 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
How do the multiple cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops interact? Are they parallel and fully independent or controlled by an arbitrator, or are they hierarchically organized? We introduce here a set of four key concepts, integrated and evaluated by means of a neuro-computational model, that bring together current ideas regarding cortex-basal ganglia interactions in the context of habit learning. According to key concept 1, each loop learns to select an intermediate objective at a different abstraction level, moving from goals in the ventral striatum to motor in the putamen. Key concept 2 proposes that the cortex integrates the basal ganglia selection with environmental information regarding the achieved objective. Key concept 3 claims shortcuts between loops, and key concept 4 predicts that loops compute their own prediction error signal for learning. Computational benefits of the key concepts are demonstrated. Contrasting with former concepts of habit learning, the loops collaborate to select goal-directed actions while training slower shortcuts develops habitual responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Baladron
- Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Fred H Hamker
- Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
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20
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Haas OV, Henke J, Leibold C, Thurley K. Modality-specific Subpopulations of Place Fields Coexist in the Hippocampus. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1109-1120. [PMID: 29912390 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal place cells integrate signals from multiple sensory modalities. However, it is unclear how these different inputs are combined to generate place fields. We investigated how visual spatial cues and an animal's locomotion are integrated by CA3 place cells of Mongolian gerbils. While the animals moved on a virtual linear track, we adapted the gain between the visually projected environment and the treadmill movement. Place cells responded differently to this manipulation. In a subset, place fields were kept in accord with salient visual cues in the virtual environment or reward location, whereas in another subset, place fields were strongly influenced by locomotion. Theta phase precession was present and indistinguishable between the place field types. Theta compression remained intact under gain changes and extended over both types of place field. Hippocampal place cells thus retain strong influence from distinct input streams suggesting a role of the hippocampus CA3 as a multimodal associator on the theta time scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia V Haas
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Martinsried, Germany.,Graduate School for Systemic Neurosciences Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Josephine Henke
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Martinsried, Germany.,Graduate School for Systemic Neurosciences Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Kay Thurley
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Martinsried, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, Martinsried, Germany
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21
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Naik H, Bastien R, Navab N, Couzin ID. Animals in Virtual Environments. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2020; 26:2073-2083. [PMID: 32070970 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2020.2973063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The core idea in an XR (VR/MR/AR) application is to digitally stimulate one or more sensory systems (e.g. visual, auditory, olfactory) of the human user in an interactive way to achieve an immersive experience. Since the early 2000s biologists have been using Virtual Environments (VE) to investigate the mechanisms of behavior in non-human animals including insects, fish, and mammals. VEs have become reliable tools for studying vision, cognition, and sensory-motor control in animals. In turn, the knowledge gained from studying such behaviors can be harnessed by researchers designing biologically inspired robots, smart sensors, and rnulti-agent artificial intelligence. VE for animals is becoming a widely used application of XR technology but such applications have not previously been reported in the technical literature related to XR. Biologists and computer scientists can benefit greatly from deepening interdisciplinary research in this emerging field and together we can develop new methods for conducting fundamental research in behavioral sciences and engineering. To support our argument we present this review which provides an overview of animal behavior experiments conducted in virtual environments.
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22
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Lopatina OL, Morgun AV, Gorina YV, Salmin VV, Salmina AB. Current approaches to modeling the virtual reality in rodents for the assessment of brain plasticity and behavior. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 335:108616. [PMID: 32007483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have become valuable tools to study brains and behaviors resulting in development of new methods of diagnostics and treatment. Neurodegenerаtion is one of the best examples demonstrating efficacy of VR/АR technologies in modern neurology. Development of novel VR systems for rodents and combination of VR tools with up-to-date imaging techniques (i.e. MRI, imaging of neural networks etc.), brain electrophysiology (EEG, patch-clamp), precise analytics (microdialysis) allowed implementing of VR protocols into the animal neurobiology to study brain plasticity, sensorimotor integration, spatial navigation, memory, and decision-making. VR/AR for rodents is а young field of experimental neuroscience and has already provided more consistent testing conditions, less human-animal interaction, opportunities to use a wider variety of experimental parameters. Here we discuss present and future perspectives of using VR/AR to assess brain plasticity, neurogenesis and complex behavior in rodent and human study, and their advantages for translational neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga L Lopatina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Laboratory for Social Brain Studies, Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.
| | - Andrey V Morgun
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yana V Gorina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Salmin
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University Named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
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23
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Bjerre AS, Palmer LM. Probing Cortical Activity During Head-Fixed Behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:30. [PMID: 32180705 PMCID: PMC7059801 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The cortex is crucial for many behaviors, ranging from sensory-based behaviors to working memory and social behaviors. To gain an in-depth understanding of the contribution to these behaviors, cellular and sub-cellular recordings from both individual and populations of cortical neurons are vital. However, techniques allowing such recordings, such as two-photon imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology, require absolute stability of the head, a requirement not often fulfilled in freely moving animals. Here, we review and compare behavioral paradigms that have been developed and adapted for the head-fixed preparation, which together offer the needed stability for live recordings of neural activity in behaving animals. We also review how the head-fixed preparation has been used to explore the function of primary sensory cortices, posterior parietal cortex (PPC) and anterior lateral motor (ALM) cortex in sensory-based behavioral tasks, while also discussing the considerations of performing such recordings. Overall, this review highlights the head-fixed preparation as allowing in-depth investigation into the neural activity underlying behaviors by providing highly controllable settings for precise stimuli presentation which can be combined with behavioral paradigms ranging from simple sensory detection tasks to complex, cross-modal, memory-guided decision-making tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Sofie Bjerre
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Lucy M Palmer
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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24
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Antioxidants, Dietary Fatty Acids, and Sperm: A Virtual Reality Applied Game for Scientific Dissemination. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2019; 2019:2065639. [PMID: 31814868 PMCID: PMC6877968 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2065639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Fatty acid (FA) profile appears to be critical to infertility, and the effects of dietary FAs on sperm FA content are a current focus of studies in the field of nutrition and reproduction. Starting from a validated “OXISTRESS” model in which modification of FA content results to influence reactive oxygen species, antioxidants, isoprostanes, cytokines, sperm kinetic, and acrosome reaction, we developed a virtual reality game where the player, in order to improve the health of some virtual spermatozoa, is called to take dietary choices and then discover their consequences on the main biological aspects. In the LabVR of the University of Siena, a team of VR environment designer and developer used Unity development engine to make the experience run on Oculus Quest and a wireless 6DOF (six degrees of freedom of movement in 3D space) VR Headset. In the game, the player is immersed in the epididymis and observes closer how dietary n-3 may change the sperm plasma membrane and consequently modify sperm traits. A simulation game in the virtual reality may represent a tool to give greater visibility to scientific data in the relevance of appropriate dietary habits in the human health.
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25
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Algorithms for Olfactory Search across Species. J Neurosci 2019; 38:9383-9389. [PMID: 30381430 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1668-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Localizing the sources of stimuli is essential. Most organisms cannot eat, mate, or escape without knowing where the relevant stimuli originate. For many, if not most, animals, olfaction plays an essential role in search. While microorganismal chemotaxis is relatively well understood, in larger animals the algorithms and mechanisms of olfactory search remain mysterious. In this symposium, we will present recent advances in our understanding of olfactory search in flies and rodents. Despite their different sizes and behaviors, both species must solve similar problems, including meeting the challenges of turbulent airflow, sampling the environment to optimize olfactory information, and incorporating odor information into broader navigational systems.
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26
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Layer-specific integration of locomotion and sensory information in mouse barrel cortex. Nat Commun 2019; 10:2585. [PMID: 31197148 PMCID: PMC6565743 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During navigation, rodents continually sample the environment with their whiskers. How locomotion modulates neuronal activity in somatosensory cortex, and how it is integrated with whisker-touch remains unclear. Here, we compared neuronal activity in layer 2/3 (L2/3) and L5 of barrel cortex using calcium imaging in mice running in a tactile virtual reality. Both layers increase their activity during running and concomitant whisking, in the absence of touch. Fewer neurons are modulated by whisking alone. Whereas L5 neurons respond transiently to wall-touch during running, L2/3 neurons show sustained activity. Consistently, neurons encoding running-with-touch are more abundant in L2/3 and they encode the run-speed better during touch. Few neurons across layers were also sensitive to abrupt perturbations of tactile flow during running. In summary, locomotion significantly enhances barrel cortex activity across layers with L5 neurons mainly reporting changes in touch conditions and L2/3 neurons continually integrating tactile stimuli with running. The influence of locomotion on somatosensory processing in barrel cortex is not well understood. Here the authors report distinct layer-specific responses, with L5 primarily reporting changes in touch condition while L2/3 neurons integrating touch and locomotion continuously.
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27
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Aharoni D, Hoogland TM. Circuit Investigations With Open-Source Miniaturized Microscopes: Past, Present and Future. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:141. [PMID: 31024265 PMCID: PMC6461004 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to simultaneously image the spatiotemporal activity signatures from many neurons during unrestrained vertebrate behaviors has become possible through the development of miniaturized fluorescence microscopes, or miniscopes, sufficiently light to be carried by small animals such as bats, birds and rodents. Miniscopes have permitted the study of circuits underlying song vocalization, action sequencing, head-direction tuning, spatial memory encoding and sleep to name a few. The foundation for these microscopes has been laid over the last two decades through academic research with some of this work resulting in commercialization. More recently, open-source initiatives have led to an even broader adoption of miniscopes in the neuroscience community. Open-source designs allow for rapid modification and extension of their function, which has resulted in a new generation of miniscopes that now permit wire-free or wireless recording, concurrent electrophysiology and imaging, two-color fluorescence detection, simultaneous optical actuation and read-out as well as wide-field and volumetric light-field imaging. These novel miniscopes will further expand the toolset of those seeking affordable methods to probe neural circuit function during naturalistic behaviors. Here, we will discuss the early development, present use and future potential of miniscopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Aharoni
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tycho M Hoogland
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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28
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Bourboulou R, Marti G, Michon FX, El Feghaly E, Nouguier M, Robbe D, Koenig J, Epsztein J. Dynamic control of hippocampal spatial coding resolution by local visual cues. eLife 2019; 8:44487. [PMID: 30822270 PMCID: PMC6397000 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to flexibly navigate an environment relies on a hippocampal-dependent cognitive map. External space can be internally mapped at different spatial resolutions. However, whether hippocampal spatial coding resolution can rapidly adapt to local features of an environment remains unclear. To explore this possibility, we recorded the firing of hippocampal neurons in mice navigating virtual reality environments, embedding or not local visual cues (virtual 3D objects) in specific locations. Virtual objects enhanced spatial coding resolution in their vicinity with a higher proportion of place cells, smaller place fields, increased spatial selectivity and stability. This effect was highly dynamic upon objects manipulations. Objects also improved temporal coding resolution through improved theta phase precession and theta timescale spike coordination. We propose that the fast adaptation of hippocampal spatial coding resolution to local features of an environment could be relevant for large-scale navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Bourboulou
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Geoffrey Marti
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - François-Xavier Michon
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Elissa El Feghaly
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Morgane Nouguier
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - David Robbe
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Koenig
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Jerome Epsztein
- Institute of Neurobiology of the Mediterranean Sea (INMED), Turing Center for Living Systems, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, Marseille, France
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29
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In vivo imaging for neurovascular disease research. Arch Pharm Res 2019; 42:263-273. [PMID: 30756309 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-019-01128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Connections between various cell types in the brain enable cognitive function. The neurovascular unit is a structure composed of different cell types that regulate neurovascular coupling, blood-brain barrier permeability, and other interactions with peripheral systems. The relationship among the components of the neurovascular unit is complex and difficult to study without the use of in vivo neurovascular disease imaging. In this review, we introduce principles and examples of various in vivo optical imaging techniques including laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle contrast imaging, intrinsic optical signal imaging, optical coherence tomography, and two-photon microscopy. Furthermore, we introduce recent advances of in vivo imaging and future directions for promoting neurovascular disease research.
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Diersch N, Wolbers T. The potential of virtual reality for spatial navigation research across the adult lifespan. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:222/Suppl_1/jeb187252. [PMID: 30728232 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.187252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Older adults often experience serious problems in spatial navigation, and alterations in underlying brain structures are among the first indicators for a progression to neurodegenerative diseases. Studies investigating the neural mechanisms of spatial navigation and its changes across the adult lifespan are increasingly using virtual reality (VR) paradigms. VR offers major benefits in terms of ecological validity, experimental control and options to track behavioral responses. However, navigation in the real world differs from navigation in VR in several aspects. In addition, the importance of body-based or visual cues for navigation varies between animal species. Incongruences between sensory and motor input in VR might consequently affect their performance to a different degree. After discussing the specifics of using VR in spatial navigation research across species, we outline several challenges when investigating age-related deficits in spatial navigation with the help of VR. In addition, we discuss ways to reduce their impact, together with the possibilities VR offers for improving navigational abilities in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Diersch
- Aging & Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Wolbers
- Aging & Cognition Research Group, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioural Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany.,Medical Faculty, University Hospital Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
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31
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Casali G, Shipley S, Dowell C, Hayman R, Barry C. Entorhinal Neurons Exhibit Cue Locking in Rodent VR. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 12:512. [PMID: 30705621 PMCID: PMC6344450 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The regular firing pattern exhibited by medial entorhinal (mEC) grid cells of locomoting rodents is hypothesized to provide spatial metric information relevant for navigation. The development of virtual reality (VR) for head-fixed mice confers a number of experimental advantages and has become increasingly popular as a method for investigating spatially-selective cells. Recent experiments using 1D VR linear tracks have shown that some mEC cells have multiple fields in virtual space, analogous to grid cells on real linear tracks. We recorded from the mEC as mice traversed virtual tracks featuring regularly spaced repetitive cues and identified a population of cells with multiple firing fields, resembling the regular firing of grid cells. However, further analyses indicated that many of these were not, in fact, grid cells because: (1) when recorded in the open field they did not display discrete firing fields with six-fold symmetry; and (2) in different VR environments their firing fields were found to match the spatial frequency of repetitive environmental cues. In contrast, cells identified as grid cells based on their open field firing patterns did not exhibit cue locking. In light of these results we highlight the importance of controlling the periodicity of the visual cues in VR and the necessity of identifying grid cells from real open field environments in order to correctly characterize spatially modulated neurons in VR experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Casali
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Shipley
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlie Dowell
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robin Hayman
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Caswell Barry
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Knorr AG, Gravot CM, Gordy C, Glasauer S, Straka H. I spy with my little eye: a simple behavioral assay to test color sensitivity on digital displays. Biol Open 2018; 7:bio.035725. [PMID: 30127095 PMCID: PMC6215414 DOI: 10.1242/bio.035725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Passive and interactive virtual reality (VR) environments are becoming increasingly popular in the field of behavioral neuroscience. While the technique was originally developed for human observers, corresponding applications have been adopted for the research of visual-driven behavior and neural circuits in animals. RGB color reproduction using red, green and blue primary color pixels is generally calibrated for humans, questioning if the distinct parameters are also readily transferable to other species. In particular, a visual image in the RGB color space has a clearly defined contrast pattern for humans, but this may not necessarily be the case for other mammals or even non-mammalian species, thereby impairing any interpretation of color-related behavioral or neuronal results. Here, we present a simple method to estimate the sensitivity of animals to the three primary colors of digital display devices based on the performance of object motion-driven visuo-motor reflexes and demonstrate differences in the color sensitivity between Xenopus laevis and Ambystoma mexicanum (Axolotl). This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: We present a simple method to estimate an animals’ sensitivity to component colors of RGB images based on visuo-motor reflexes and demonstrate its applicability in Xenopus laevis and Ambystoma mexicanum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Knorr
- Center for Sensorimotor Research, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Großhadern, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 19, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Céline M Gravot
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Clayton Gordy
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Stefan Glasauer
- Center for Sensorimotor Research, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Großhadern, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 19, 81377 Munich, Germany.,Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Technology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Universitätsplatz 1, 01968 Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Hans Straka
- Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg, Germany
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33
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Longitudinal two-photon imaging in somatosensory cortex of behaving mice reveals dendritic spine formation enhancement by subchronic administration of low-dose ketamine. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6464. [PMID: 29691465 PMCID: PMC5915413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24933-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ketamine, a well-known anesthetic, has recently attracted renewed attention as a fast-acting antidepressant. A single dose of ketamine induces rapid synaptogenesis, which may underlie its antidepressant effect. To test whether repeated exposure to ketamine triggers sustained synaptogenesis, we administered a sub-anesthetic dose of ketamine (10 mg/kg i.p.) once-daily for 5 days, and repeatedly imaged dendritic spines of the YFP-expressing pyramidal neurons in somatosensory cortex of awake female mice using in vivo two-photon microscopy. We found that the spine formation rate became significantly higher at 72–132 h after the first ketamine injection (but not at 6–24 h), while the rate of elimination of pre-existing spines remained unchanged. In contrast to the net gain of spines observed in ketamine-treated mice, the vehicle-injected control mice exhibited a net loss typical for young-adult animals undergoing synapse pruning. Ketamine-induced spinogenesis was correlated with increased PSD-95 and phosphorylated actin, consistent with formation of new synapses. Moreover, structural synaptic plasticity caused by ketamine was paralleled by a significant improvement in the nest building behavioral assay. Taken together, our data show that subchronic low-dose ketamine induces a sustained shift towards spine formation.
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Lebedev MA, Ossadtchi A. Commentary: Spatial Olfactory Learning Contributes to Place Field Formation in the Hippocampus. Front Syst Neurosci 2018; 12:8. [PMID: 29692712 PMCID: PMC5902690 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2018.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail A Lebedev
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Center for Bioelectric Interfaces of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexei Ossadtchi
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces of the Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
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35
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Abstract
All motile organisms use spatially distributed chemical features of their surroundings to guide their behaviors, but the neural mechanisms underlying such behaviors in mammals have been difficult to study, largely due to the technical challenges of controlling chemical concentrations in space and time during behavioral experiments. To overcome these challenges, we introduce a system to control and maintain an olfactory virtual landscape. This system uses rapid flow controllers and an online predictive algorithm to deliver precise odorant distributions to head-fixed mice as they explore a virtual environment. We establish an odor-guided virtual navigation behavior that engages hippocampal CA1 "place cells" that exhibit similar properties to those previously reported for real and visual virtual environments, demonstrating that navigation based on different sensory modalities recruits a similar cognitive map. This method opens new possibilities for studying the neural mechanisms of olfactory-driven behaviors, multisensory integration, innate valence, and low-dimensional sensory-spatial processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brad A Radvansky
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Daniel A Dombeck
- Department of Neurobiology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Chemistry
and Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, Siegen
57068, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Department of Chemistry
and Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, Siegen
57068, Germany
| | - Laura Chouinard-Thuly
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal,
Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
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37
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Chouinard-Thuly L, Gierszewski S, Rosenthal GG, Reader SM, Rieucau G, Woo KL, Gerlai R, Tedore C, Ingley SJ, Stowers JR, Frommen JG, Dolins FL, Witte K. Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior. Curr Zool 2017; 63:5-19. [PMID: 29491958 PMCID: PMC5804155 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid technical advances in the field of computer animation (CA) and virtual reality (VR) have opened new avenues in animal behavior research. Animated stimuli are powerful tools as they offer standardization, repeatability, and complete control over the stimulus presented, thereby "reducing" and "replacing" the animals used, and "refining" the experimental design in line with the 3Rs. However, appropriate use of these technologies raises conceptual and technical questions. In this review, we offer guidelines for common technical and conceptual considerations related to the use of animated stimuli in animal behavior research. Following the steps required to create an animated stimulus, we discuss (I) the creation, (II) the presentation, and (III) the validation of CAs and VRs. Although our review is geared toward computer-graphically designed stimuli, considerations on presentation and validation also apply to video playbacks. CA and VR allow both new behavioral questions to be addressed and existing questions to be addressed in new ways, thus we expect a rich future for these methods in both ultimate and proximate studies of animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chouinard-Thuly
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
| | - Gil G. Rosenthal
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas “Aguazarca”, Calnali, Hidalgo, México
| | - Simon M. Reader
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Kevin L. Woo
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USA
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
| | - Cynthia Tedore
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Spencer J. Ingley
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - John R. Stowers
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, Vienna 1030, Austria
- loopbio gmbh, Hauptstrasse 93, Kritzendorf 3420, Austria
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, Hinterkappelen 3032, Switzerland
| | - Francine L. Dolins
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
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38
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Kaupert U, Thurley K, Frei K, Bagorda F, Schatz A, Tocker G, Rapoport S, Derdikman D, Winter Y. Spatial cognition in a virtual reality home-cage extension for freely moving rodents. J Neurophysiol 2017; 117:1736-1748. [PMID: 28077665 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00630.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) environments are a powerful tool to investigate brain mechanisms involved in the behavior of animals. With this technique, animals are usually head fixed or secured in a harness, and training for cognitively more complex VR paradigms is time consuming. A VR apparatus allowing free animal movement and the constant operator-independent training of tasks would enable many new applications. Key prospective usages include brain imaging of animal behavior when carrying a miniaturized mobile device such as a fluorescence microscope or an optetrode. Here, we introduce the Servoball, a spherical VR treadmill based on the closed-loop tracking of a freely moving animal and feedback counterrotation of the ball. Furthermore, we present the complete integration of this experimental system with the animals' group home cage, from which single individuals can voluntarily enter through a tunnel with radio-frequency identification (RFID)-automated access control and commence experiments. This automated animal sorter functions as a mechanical replacement of the experimenter. We automatically trained rats using visual or acoustic cues to solve spatial cognitive tasks and recorded spatially modulated entorhinal cells. When electrophysiological extracellular recordings from awake behaving rats were performed, head fixation can dramatically alter results, so that any complex behavior that requires head movement is impossible to achieve. We circumvented this problem with the use of the Servoball in open-field scenarios, as it allows the combination of open-field behavior with the recording of nerve cells, along with all the flexibility that a virtual environment brings. This integrated home cage with a VR arena experimental system permits highly efficient experimentation for complex cognitive experiments.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Virtual reality (VR) environments are a powerful tool for the investigation of brain mechanisms. We introduce the Servoball, a VR treadmill for freely moving rodents. The Servoball is integrated with the animals' group home cage. Single individuals voluntarily enter using automated access control. Training is highly time-efficient, even for cognitively complex VR paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ursula Kaupert
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Kay Thurley
- Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, München, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich, München, Germany
| | - Katja Frei
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Francesco Bagorda
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexej Schatz
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gilad Tocker
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.,Neuroscience Department, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; and
| | - Sophie Rapoport
- Neuroscience Department, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; and
| | - Dori Derdikman
- Neuroscience Department, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; and
| | - York Winter
- Cognitive Neurobiology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; .,NeuroCure Center of Excellence, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
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